Graco Supply Company Announces Appointment of Jason Caldwell as President and CEO

FORT WORTH, Texas, April 24, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Graco Supply Company ("Graco"), a portfolio company of CM Equity Partners ("CMEP"), announced that it has recently appointed Jason Caldwell as President and CEO and a member of Graco's Board of Directors. In addition, Graco has announced the appointment of Thad Fortin as a consultant and member of the Board of Directors.

"We are excited to have Jason, a distinguished aviation distribution executive with over 20 years of experience, as the leader of Graco," stated Mark Carmen, Chairman of Graco and a Senior Advisor to CMEP.  He continued, "Jason's experience is directly related to the areas of growth we are pursuing for Graco and is focused on broadening our key supplier partnerships and customer relationships."

Mr. Caldwell spent 20 years at Wencor Group functioning in various roles and responsibilities in sales and marketing, finally as Vice President of Sales, responsible for activities in North and Latin America. In 2004, he became the President of Dixie Aerospace, a market leader in bearings distribution and PMA development. In 2010, he was appointed Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing for Wencor Group, where he built a cohesive sales and marketing team and was able to exceed revenue and gross margin plans. He also led the mergers and acquisitions team through 12 acquisitions, five stand-alone companies, and seven product line-related acquisitions. Mr. Caldwell was part of the executive team that managed the sale of Wencor Group from Odyssey Investment Partners to Warburg Pincus in 2014. He was appointed President of Distribution in 2016, with responsibility for all aspects of Wencor Group's parts distribution business.

Thad Fortin Joins Board

Graco also announced that it has appointed Thad Fortin as a Consultant and a member of Graco's Board of Directors.  Mr. Fortin is the former owner and CEO of Haas Group International, which he built into one of the leading businesses in aviation chemical management services. Jason Caldwell, CEO of Graco, stated, "I'm thrilled to join a great team at Graco. Adding Thad as a partner and board member enhances my confidence that we will be successful.  Thad's experience in aviation chemicals will be invaluable as we focus on growing the business."

About Graco Supply Company

Founded in 1959 and headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Graco is a leading value-added distributor of chemicals, specialty materials, consumables and related services to the aerospace and defense industries.  Graco's extensive product line card consists of paints and other coatings, sealants, adhesives, surface treatments, composite materials and other shop consumables used in the manufacture and maintenance, repair, and overhaul of commercial, business and military aircraft.  Graco also provides value-added services including custom repackaging, temperature-sensitive material handling, tinting and supply chain management capabilities. For additional information on Graco Supply, please visit www.gracosupply.com.

About CM Equity Partners, LP

CMEP is a private equity firm focused primarily on the federal services and aerospace and defense industries. Since its founding in 1992, CMEP has made more than 50 acquisitions and investments and has been responsible for managing nearly $500 million of equity investments and raising nearly $1.1 billion in debt.  CMEP's team brings an active and collaborative management approach to its investments by partnering with management teams, developing long-term strategic plans and supporting re-investment of profits to grow and broaden a company's revenue base and capabilities. Additional information about CMEP is available at www.cmequity.com. 

CMEP is associated with Carl Marks & Co., a private family investment office with merchant banking activities dating to 1925. Additional information about Carl Marks & Co. is available at www.carlmarks.com. 

SOURCE Graco Supply Company

Related Links

http://www.gracosupply.com